Toaster case



1967 D. E. BUFKIN ETAL 3,334,576

TOASTER CASE Filed Dec. 13, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. D445 5, BC/F/W/V sues/v5 ua-554,4.

Aug. 8, 1967 D. E. BUFKIN ETAL TOASTER CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 15, 1965 INVENTORS. 17/9105 5. SUP/(0V KUGfiNE A. RUSSELL 7 Aug. 8, 1967 D. E. BUFKIN ETAL TOASTER CASE Filed Dec. 13, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 0445 5 Bt/F/K/A/ EUGENE Russ/54L BY 26% Mg.

a United States Patent 3,334,576 TOASTER CASE Dale E. Bufitiu, Macon, and Eugene R. Russell, Columbia,

Mo., assignors to McGraw-Edison Company, Milwaukee, Win, a corporation 0t Delaware Filed Dec. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,284 6 Claims. (Cl. 99-385) The present invention relates to an appliance construction and, more particularly, to an improved casing for an appliance such as an automatic bread toaster.

The toaster case as shown and described in the illustrated embodiment includes a sheet steel case having two principal parts, each of which is formed from a substantially rectangular blank so that very little scrap or waste materials is generated. The parts during fabrication require little more than blanking and flanging and are secured to one another by tab projections on one piece which project through apertures formed in the other piece and are turned within the enclosure to secure the two portions to one another.

' Accordingly, the structure created by practicing the present invention causes a maximum use of material and does not require separate fastening devices for assembling the principal enclosure portions. Further, the sheet steel wall portions of the case are assembled to one another prior to having the toaster oven and controls mounted therein which allows the case to receive its plated finish in the assembled form thus avoiding the necessity of assembling the parts after the plating has been applied. By so doing much of the refinishing required when the case finish is marred during assembly is avoided.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved appliance case structure that may be simply and economically fabricated.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an appliance case that can be made with a minimum of waste material.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an ap pliance case that may be assembled prior to plating so that assembly of case elements to one another is C0111- pletely prior to the application of the final finish.

These and other object and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a toaster incorporating the case of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic exploded view of the toaster of FIGURE 1 showing the two-piece case and the oven, base and leg assembly; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section view of the left end portion of the toaster as seen in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the case assembly is formed of two sheet metal members and 11. The member 10 is of generally U-shaped horizontal section and provides the rear wall 12 and the end walls 13 and 14 of the case enclosure. The marginal edges of member 10 which are adjacent to the front and top are turned inwardly to form a continuous flange 16. Along the lower margin of the rear wall, is an inwardly turned flange 18 which provides a wall for anchoring the case to base 20. Formed in the portion of the flange 16 which margins the edge of the rear wall or bight portion 12 of the U-shaped member 10 are a pair of apertures 22, one of which is visible in FIGURE 2. Similar apertures 23 are respectively found in the portions of flanges 16 margining the upper edges of the sidewall portions 13 and 14 adjoining the top wall and a pair of apertures 25 in the portion of flanges 16 margining the vertical edge of end walls 13 and 14.

The wall member 11 of generally L-shaped section provides the top wall 28 and the fourth sidewall or front 30 of the enclosure. 'Inwardly turned flanges along the marginal edges of case member 11 which adjoin U- shaped member 10 provide a continuous flange 32 and a flange 34 along the lower edge affords provision, as does flange 18, for securing the case to the base structure. A pair of tab projections 36 formed as a unitary part of the flange 32 of L-shaped member 11 extend down- Wardly from the edge of the flange 32 a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the U-shaped member flange portion 16 and are then bent rearwardly. Tab projections 38 at each end of the fourth sidewall 30 and similar tabs 40 at each end of the top wall 28 extend from and in the same plane as the adjacent portion of flange 32 of which it is an integral part and are aligned to be received in corresponding apertures 25 and 23, respectively, in the continuous flange 16 of U-shaped member 10. The case is assembled by pivoting the L- shaped member 11 until the turn tab projections 36 are readily received in the apertures 22 of the U-shaped member 10, inserting the tabs into the apertures and thereafter pivoting the L-shaped member downwardly until the tabs 40 enter the apertures 23 and tabs 38 enter apertures 25.

The two case members 10 and 11 are then relatively positioned as shown in FIGURE 3. The tabs 3-8 are then twisted at the interior of the enclosure to secure the L-shaped member 11 to the U-shaped member 10 to form an enclosure having a bottom opening. In practice the tabs 40 are also turned within the enclosure as an extra means of positively retaining the two case members captive to one another, but this step would not be.

necessary since the principal function of tabs 40 within the apertures 23 is to assure proper alignment between the two sheet metal portions of the case.

As seen in FIGURE 2, an oven unit 44 is shown schematically secured to the base member 20. At each end of the base member and secured thereto by the sheet metal screws 46 is a combined handle and leg'structure 48 formed of plastic to provide heat insulation.

The case assembly formed by U-shaped member 10 and L-shaped member 11 interconnected as described above is plated and finished and thereafter assembled to the base-oven-leg subassembly 50 as a unit. The case assembly is secured to the base by sheet metal screws 54 (FIGURE 3) which extend through the aligned apertures in the base flange and the case assembly flanges.

The top wall 28 of the case is provided with bread slice receiving openings 56 in the assembled condition aligned with the toasting chambers of the oven unit 44. The front wall apertures 58 are provided to accommodate an actuating and release lever and a color control knob is illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In manufacturing the casing, members 10 and 11 are blanked and flanged and thereafter formed into their respective U-shape and L-shape and the end portions of tabs 36 of the L-shaped member are bent at right angles to the base of the tab. The tabs 36 are then inserted in apertures 22 and the tabs 40 and 38 inserted into the apertures 23 and 25 and turned as shown in FIGURE 3 to be retained captive. The case assembly is thereafter electroplated in the assembled condition to provide the final finish. It is accordingly not necessary to assemble finished case parts to one another and consequently the refinishing often necessary because of marring or scratch ing finished parts during the assembly of the case elements is avoided. The case assembly is thereafter assembled as a unit to the base on which it is supported the oven and other auxiliaries of the toaster oven assembly and the handles.

Although but one embodiment has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A toaster comprising a casing including a generally U-shaped sheet metal member forming three contiguous sidewalls and having inwardly turned flange portions along the marginal edges adjoining the top and fourth sidewall; a generally L-shaped sheet metal member forming the top and fourth sidewall and having inwardly turned flanges along the marginal edges adjoining the sidewalls formed by said U-shaped member; means interconnecting said members with the edge surfaces of the inwardly turned marginal flanges of one of said members in abutting relation with the inwardly turned marginal flange surfaces of the other of said members to form an enclosure having a bottom opening.

2. The toaster of claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said members comprises -a plurality of apertures in said inwardly turned flanges of one of said members; a plurality of projections extending from the inwardly turned flanges of the other of said members, said projections being aligned to be respectively received in said plurality of apertures; and means securing said projections within said apertures.

3. The toaster of claim 1 further comprising a base member; and a toasting mechanism mounted on said base member, said toasting mechanism assembly being received within the enclosure formed by said casing assembly through said bottom opening; and means securing said casing assembly to said base member.

4. The toaster of claim 3 wherein said means interconnecting said members comprises a plurality of apertures in said inwardly turned flanges of one of said members; a plurality of projections extending from the inwardly turned flanges of the other of said members, said pro- 4 jections being aligned to be respectively receivedin said plurality of apertures; and means securing said projections within said apertures.

5. The toaster of claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said members comprises a plurality of apertures in said U-shaped member continuous flange with at least one such aperture disposed adjacent each sidewall marginal edge; and a plurality of tab projections extending from said L-shaped member continuous flange received respectively through said apertures, said tab projections extending through the aperture in the U-shaped member continuous flange portion adjoining the bight portion of said U-shaped member being turned to extend toward the sidewall adjoining said U-shaped member continuous flange portion in an underlying relation to said U-shaped member continuous flange portion and said tab projections extending from the L-shaped continuous flange adjacent said fourth sidewall being turned within said enclosure to prevent withdrawal and secure said members to one another.

6. The toaster of claim 1 wherein said means interconnecting said members comprises a plurality of apertures in said U-shaped member continuous flange with at least one such aperture adjacent each sidewall; and a plurality of tab projections extending from said L-shaped member as an integral part thereof and positioned to be respec tively received through said plurality of apertures, said tab projections being turned within said enclosure to prevent Withdrawal and secure said members to one another.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,421,225 5/1947 Stensgaard 220 4 X 2,83 8,989 6/1958 Clark et a1. 99401 3,169,469 2/1965 Parr 99385 X BIL-LY'J. WILHITE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOASTER COMPRISING A CASING INCLUDING A GENERALLY U-SHAPED SHEET METAL MEMBER FORMING THREE CONTIGUOUS SIDEWALLS AND HAVING INWARDLY TURNED FLANGE PORTIONS ALONG THE MARGINAL EDGES ADJOINING THE TOP AND FOURTH SIDEWALL; A GENERALLY L-SHAPED SHEET METAL MEMBER FORMING THE TOP AND FOURTH SIDEWLL AND HAVING INWARDLY TURNED FLANGES ALONG THE MARGINAL EDGES ADJOINING THE SIDEWALLS FORMED BY SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER; MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID MEMBERS WITH THE EDGE SURFACES OF THE INWARDLY TURNED MARGINAL FLANGES OF ONE OF SAID MEMBERS IN ABUTTING RELATION WITH THE INWARDLY TURNED MARGINAL FLANGE SURFACES OF THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS TO FORM AN ENCLOSURE HAVING A BOTTOM OPENING. 